The Normal Kind of Life
by evilninjakittens
Summary: A story about some of our Losties in High School. It concentrates on Jack and Kate and tells the story from their points of view. Updated 8/18/09
1. Chapter 1

Jack sat underneath the spreading oak in the center of the school lawn. He was starving, and wanted nothing more than to scarf down the turkey sandwich he had brought for lunch, but he had promised Kate that he would wait for her. He took out his lunch and began setting everything out neatly. Sandwich… apple… water bottle, then he folded his napkin in half. He was in the middle of meticulously straightening each item when he heard a mocking voice behind him.

"What the hell are you doing, man? You are such a freak." Sayid's head popped out from behind the tree.

Jack laughed and grabbed Sayid's ankle, sending him sprawling into the grass.

He sat up and dusted himself off. "Please tell me that you are not really that much of a control freak." Sayid turned his backpack upside down, and dumped its contents onto the ground. He moved his books and papers around until he found his Tupperware container that held his lunch.

Jack looked at him questioningly. Sayid pointed to Jack's perfectly arranged food.

"Oh, I'm starving and bored, but I promised Kate that I'd wait for her. You know how slowly she eats."

Sayid rolled his eyes. "Why won't you just tell her that you like her? This has gotten past the point of being pathetic."

"How many times do I have to tell you? She doesn't like me like that. I'm just her best friend. That's all I'll ever be. Give it up."

"But how will you ever know for sure if you won't even try-"

"Try what?" Sayid was cut off by Kate plopping down between them and butting into the conversation.

"My hilbeh. Jack won't try it. He thinks it will be too spicy." Kate seemed to believe that answer and Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief. It's a good thing Sayid was such a great liar.

"Come on, Jack. You have to try it. Step out of your comfort zone for once. I'll try it."

Jack groaned. He really didn't want to try the hilbeh, but he decided to take the path of least resistance.

"Fine."

* * *

After they finished eating, Sayid had a free period so he went off in search of Kate's best friend Claire. Jack and Kate cleared up their mess, and walked toward the north building where their respective classes were. Jack couldn't stop thinking about Kate's comment about stepping out of his comfort zone. He wondered if she meant it about more than just the food. Maybe she was subtly hinting that she wanted him to ask her out. Maybe she liked him. Maybe she- Jack's thoughts came crashing down as Kate's voice called him from his reverie. "Did you finish the Physics?"

"What?"

"Are you even listening to me?" Kate laughed and smacked his arm. "I asked about your Physics lab. Did you finally get it finished?"

"Oh, that. Yeah. Thanks for your help. My teacher said that it was really good."

"No problem"

Jack turned down the hallway to his psychology class, but Kate's voice stopped him. "Are we still on for Thursday?"

"Yeah. I'll be there." Jack looked forward to spending an afternoon at Kate's house, even if it was just to help plan Claire's birthday party. Kate's house was so homey and inviting compared to the foreboding stone contraption that his parents adored. Thinking about parents reminded him that his mother needed him to pick some stuff up from the health food store across town. That meant he couldn't hang out with Sayid like they had planned. He trudged the last few steps into his class. His mood was decidedly more dejected than it had been. Thinking about his parents often had that effect.

* * *

Kate sank down onto the bench outside the school entrance. Normally, she would ride the bus home, but Claire had invited her to dinner. Since Claire stayed late on most days to work on the school play, Kate was waiting outside. She really preferred to spend as little time as possible inside the school.

She dug around in her backpack, thinking that she might as well get started on her homework. She had just gotten her Physics book open to the right page when she felt someone sit on the other end of the bench.

"Are you in AP Physics?" A male voice asked.

She nodded as she looked up to see who it was. His voice didn't sound familiar. She took a silent breath when she saw his face. He was so handsome. She entirely forgot what he had asked her. She snapped out of her momentary daze when she realized that he had started talking again.

"I skipped class today, so I was wondering if you had the assignment."

She just looked at him for a second. "Oh, yeah… uh… let me find that for you."

She looked down and realized that she was holding it in her left hand. She quickly handed it to him, trying not to act embarrassed.

"Thanks." He smiled at her. His smile was slightly crooked, and it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. She was never good at talking to very attractive people.

He stuck his hand out. "I'm James, but everyone calls me Sawyer."

"Oh, um… I'm Kate." She awkwardly shook his hand, hoping her palm wasn't sweating.

He smiled again, and she noticed that he had really nice dimples. "I just moved here from Tennessee, and I don't know anyone yet. You're actually the first person I've met here. Would you mind showing me around and introducing me to people some time?"

She wondered why the heck he would want to talk to her. Could he not see how awkward she was?

"Uh… yeah. Whenever… I don't mind."

"Cool." He shot her another one of his grins. Why did he have to look like that? He seemed really nice, but she could barely talk around him.

He stood up. "Well, it was great meeting you. I guess I'll see you around school."

She watched him walk away, and sighed. Why had she acted like such an idiot? She was usually good at talking to people. She mentally smacked herself. She picked up her Physics book, and realized that she had given him her only copy of the assignment. Not surprisingly, she wasn't that broken up about it. He was good looking enough that his talking to her was worth losing a week of assignments over.

"Why are you smiling?" Claire appeared in Kate's line of vision.

"You will never believe what happened." Kate told Claire all about meeting Sawyer, and Claire squealed with delight.

"I can't wait to see him. We need more hot guys around here. I mean, Jack is a bit cute, and Trent Matthews is pretty hot. But Jack is…. well… Jack, and Trent is so stuck up. We have been in desperate need of more eye candy."

"You're so crazy." Kate grinned over at her enthusiastic friend. "He probably thought I was stupid anyway."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

On Thursday afternoon, Jack drove himself and Kate over to her house. When they came inside, Kate's mom, Diane, was making some sort of cinnamon cookies. Jack inhaled the scent, wishing his mother would take some time from helping her various charities to just be at home with him. The only time she really came home was to sleep, shower, or yell at Jack or his dad. Not that his dad didn't deserve to be yelled at, but sometimes he wished his parents could just shut up and be a family.

Kate led Jack down the hallway to her bedroom. She moved some piles of clean clothes that she hadn't bothered to fold, and they sat down on the floor. Jack had been in her room several times before, but he never got tired of it. He loved the smell, and the soothing blues that colored the walls and her bed.

Her walls were covered in her aunt's photography, and Jack scanned the walls for new photos while Kate searched for the notebook that she kept the party planning list in. "Claire's mom gave us some money to use, and we're using their house. We just need to decide who to invite. We also need to figure out what everyone is going to do at the party."

"Should we just invite the whole junior and senior classes, or do you want specific people?"

"I don't know… maybe we should just invite everyone. It will be more fun that way, don't you think?"

"Whatever you want, Kate."

Jack didn't really care about the party. He just liked being with her. He knew she could take care of the planning without his help so he just sat back and listened to her read off options to herself.

He realized that he had nodded off, when Kate's voice jolted him out of a doze. "You'll never believe what happened the other day."

"Mmmmm… yeah?"

"I met this guy." Jack's ears were immediately tuned to what she was saying. "It was outside the school, and he was so hot. I acted like a complete idiot." Kate laughed and turned to look at him. Jack quietly wiped his face of any expression.

"He was really nice. He asked me to introduce him to people. I can do that at the party. Remind me to invite him. He said his name was Sawyer. I think you'll like him."

Kate went back to calculating costs, and Jack tried to put "Sawyer" out of his head. He couldn't help feeling that he wasn't going to like the guy. He had already ruined one afternoon for Jack. He wouldn't be surprised if this Sawyer were to ruin quite a few more.

* * *

Later that evening, Jack called Sayid and told him about what Kate had said. Sayid didn't seem very sympathetic. "You are probably reading way too much into this. Either way, I told you that you should have told her that you like her ages ago."

Jack sighed loudly. "She just doesn't like me. Stop telling me that."

"That sucks, but I really don't know what to say."

" Nothing, I guess."

"Oh, guess what. The totally hot girl in my Calculus class asked me to tutor her today. She is so gorgeous. I think she likes me. I mean, why else would she have asked me?"

"Possibly because you are the best in the class?" Jack tried to keep from laughing. Sayid had been eyeing the blonde girl in his math class for the last six months. She was hot, and he hadn't yet figured out a way to talk to her. He always insisted that he could tell she liked him even though they had never spoken.

"No, man… I think she likes me."

"Okay. Whatever you say."

"Fine then. But when I've got a gorgeous new girlfriend, and you're still pining over Kate, we'll see who gets the last laugh."

"Oh, shut up. I've got to go eat. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jack snapped his phone shut and looked around his room for a clean button down shirt. He wasn't looking forward to an evening with the parents. On the plus side, it didn't look like the day could get any worse.

* * *

Kate wrapped her curly hair into a knot at the nape of her neck. She had no idea what to wear. Sawyer had agreed to come, and she really wanted to look good. She couldn't call Claire like she usually did in predicaments such as this, because obviously, it would ruin the surprise. She opened her closet for the fifth time and stared inside, hoping something new would materialize. It didn't.

She grabbed two random shirts from their hangers and went off in search of her mother.

"Mom? Oh, Moth-er!" Kate sang out loudly, running down the hallway.

"I'm out here honey." Diane's voice was muffled through the garage door.

"I need help, mother. Which one should I wear? It's important."

"Is this about that new boy?" She turned to look at her daughter. "What does Jack think about that?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Jack is not my boyfriend? Come on… choose!" Kate hopped from one foot to the other, trying to get out some of her impatience and excitement.

"Wear the green one. It flatters your eyes."

Kate turned and started the mad dash to her room, but her mother's voice called her back.

"I think Jack likes you more than you realize."

"Mother! Stop it! You just want me to date him because he's always nice to you. Stop reading what you want into things. Anyway, I'll be ready to go in about fifteen minutes. Will you be ready to take me? I can't be late.

"Yes dear." Diane sighed loudly. "We need to get you a license."

"Of course, mom." Kate yelled over her shoulder.

She slid the green shirt over her head, and pulled her favorite jeans on. She stood in front of the mirror and inspected herself. Makeup. She needed makeup. She wore it so rarely that she sometimes forgot what to do. She fumbled around for some eyeliner, knocking over lipstick and lip-gloss. Why did she have so much lipstick? All she ever wore was chapstick. She finally found some eyeliner at the bottom of the drawer and almost put it on before she realized it was bright blue.

"Damnit!" She pitched the tube across the room and watched it fall behind her bed.

Turning back to the drawer, she stuck her hand in and grabbed the first thing she felt. "Aha! Mascara! This will work." She opened the tube, hoping it was still okay.

After about five minutes with the makeup, she decided that this was as good as it got. She grabbed her purse and ran toward the front of the house.

"Mom! Come on! I'm going to ruin the whole thing if I'm late."

Diane shot her daughter an exasperated look, but grabbed her keys and followed her out the door.

They drove the five minutes to Claire's house in silence. Once they pulled up to the house, Diane leaned over and kissed Kate's cheek. "You look very nice honey. I hope things go well. "

"Thanks mom. Bye… love you."

Kate hopped out of the car and calmly walked towards the door.

* * *

Jack stood in the corner of the Littleton's den with Sayid. He wasn't a huge fan of large parties. He didn't like the noise, the heat from so many bodies, or the smell of sweat and too much perfume that permeated the room. The entire junior and senior classes were packed into three rooms in Claire's house. A few people were outside, but most of them were indoors where the food and music were.

Jack scanned the room for Kate. He hadn't seen her at all since the party started. He had caught a glimpse of her when Claire arrived, but there were so many people that he couldn't get over to her before she disappeared. He wondered if Sawyer was there. She was probably with him right now. He shrank a little farther into the corner.

"There she is!"

Jack looked where Sayid was pointing, expecting to see Kate. Instead it was the blonde girl that Sayid was tutoring. She _was_ hot. She had long tan legs, and a nice smile. He could see why Sayid liked her. But… right now, Jack really wanted to find Kate.

"I'm going to go try to find Kate. I'll see you later."

Sayid hardly acknowledged him leaving.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

After about ten minutes of weaving through a pack of sweaty bodies, Jack finally found Kate with Claire and a guy he assumed was Sawyer. He forced himself to walk over to them, telling himself not to be threatened by the guy.

"Hey, Jack!" Claire saw him first and got up to give him a hug. "I'm so glad you came."

He pulled up a chair next to her. Kate greeted him with a smile and introduced Sawyer.

Sawyer stuck his hand out and Jack shook it reluctantly. "Katie here tells me that yall are good friends. I've heard a lot about you."

Jack smiled tightly while inwardly bashing himself over the head. Why was he already calling her Katie? It seemed so intimate, somehow. He had known her for less than a week! Jack wished he had thought to call her Katie. He breathed a quiet "Damn" and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Claire looked after him questioningly.

"I'm going to find Sayid." Jack walked away quickly before she could ask him any more questions.

* * *

Kate rolled her eyes and turned to Sawyer. Sorry about that. Jack can be a bit moody sometimes. His parents are total jerks, so they always set him off."

"No problem." Sawyer threw her one of his lovely smiles, and she quickly forgot all about Jack and his odd behavior.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to some more people."

Kate spent about half an hour walking around, introducing Sawyer to several of her classmates. He was very friendly, and they all seemed to like him. All of the girls she introduced him to seemed rather jealous that she had met him first. She _was_ a bit proud that he was with her.

After that, the rest of the party was spent talking to Sawyer, Claire, and a couple guys from her English class. At midnight, Claire's parents came in and asked everyone to leave. Sawyer offered Kate a ride home, and she accepted happily. She called her mother to let her know that she had a ride.

They walked out to Sawyer's old truck, and Kate found herself getting nervous about being alone with him. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to find anything to say.

He walked her to the passenger side, and held open her door while she got in. It wasn't the first time a guy had done that for her, as Jack and Sayid were nice guys, but she had never been so flattered by it.

She settled in, trying to calm herself before he got in. She managed to tone down the giddy smile that was pulling at her cheeks, but she was sure that she still looked rather silly. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. They didn't speak the entire way home except when he broke the silence to ask for directions to her house. Every couple minutes one of them would catch the other sneaking glances at them, and they would both look down, trying to hide their smiles.

When they finally pulled up at her house, she sat there awkwardly for a second. She leaned over to open her door, but he pulled her back towards him. He ducked his head and lightly kissed her cheek. He shot her a dazzling grin. "Goodnight, Katie."

"Goodnight."

She jumped out of his truck and ran up the walk towards her front door. When she reached it she turned back to wave at him before he drove off.

* * *

"So, did he kiss you?"

"No, Claire! Stop it!" Kate laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"Did he look like he wanted to kiss you?" Claire persisted despite her friend's protests.

"I swear, if you do not shut up, I will never talk to you again."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I bet. You love me too much to never talk to me. Anyway, I bet he did want to kiss you. You looked hot last night."

Kate laid her head on the table with an exasperated sigh. "Think whatever you like. I obviously can't stop you."

Sayid set his tray down across from Kate. "Think about what?"

"Whether Sawyer wanted to kiss her after the party. You have to admit she looked hot."

"As if he even looked at me. He probably didn't even notice that I was there. He was too busy following Shannon the whole time."

"Not true! I wasn't following her," Sayid protested. "I simply happened to be in the same room as her a lot. It was just a coincidence."

Kate winked across at him. "Right. Of course it was."

"You mean you haven't actually talked to her except when she asked you to tutor her?" Claire inquired incredulously. "You are so pathetic."

"Shut up! If you're so good with romance, why don't you have a boyfriend?"

Jack sat down next to Sayid, and greeted everyone. Claire and Sayid ignored him, continuing their argument over who was more pathetic.

"Hey," Kate smiled at him. "I hardly saw you at all during the party. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was fine."

"Why just fine? You didn't get flirty with a bunch of girls?" she teased. She knew how much he disliked parties.

"Yeah, right." He flashed a small smile. She had been worried about him lately. Things with his parents were getting worse, and he didn't really seem to want to talk about it to anyone.

"I feel like we haven't really hung out in a while. Are you free this afternoon?"

"Yeah." His smile was genuine this time. "Do you mind coming over to my house? I have to stop at the store and pick something up for my mother first, but it will be fast."

"Sure. Just let me make sure that's okay with my mom."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

After school, Jack and Kate walked to his car. "Did your mom say it was okay for you to come over?"

"Yeah. She said she'd come pick me up if you can't drop me off."

"I'll do it. Not that I mind, but when are you planning on getting you license? You're almost seventeen."

"Why should I get my license when I have such an excellent chauffeur to drive me around?" She bumped her shoulder into his and smiled up at him. He loved the way her nose crinkled when she really smiled. He had missed being with her all the time.

He opened the door for her and wondered if Sawyer did that too. Jack figured that he probably did. He was perfect, after all, right?

Jack shook his head as he walked to the driver's side, willing himself to be happy, just for that afternoon.

Once he turned the car on, Kate leaned over to turn on the radio. "We need to pick up something for my mom at the drugstore, but it will only take a minute."

"That's fine." Kate turned to him, looking genuinely concerned. "Is she okay?"

Jack was wary of telling Kate about his parents' situation for some reason. He had never had a problem talking to her about anything before, but he just felt like something was urging him not to open up. He tried to push past it. After all, who else was there to tell?

"She's having tension headaches from all the stress. Things are getting worse." He said quietly.

Kate just looked at him with so much sympathy that he had to keep himself from tearing up. "What is going on, Jack?"

"I don't even really know. They aren't speaking to each other most of the time, and when they do, they're yelling."

"What happened? Did he start drinking again?"

Jack sighed. "No. Not this time. She thinks he's cheating now, and that he has been for their entire marriage. She can't seem to find any proof, though. I guess he covers his tracks well."

"So you think he is?"

"I wouldn't put it past him, and I will be rather surprised if he's not."

Kate reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't even know what to say. I am so sorry that this is happening."

"I guess there isn't much that could be said." He hoped she would leave her hand there. Just having someone touch him was so comforting. It seemed like no one ever did anymore.

She slid her hand up his neck and into his short hair, stroking his head. "You know I'm here, whenever you need me, Jack."

"Thank you, Kate. That means a lot to me."

They pulled up in front of the drugstore, and got out of the car. "It looks like it's going to rain."

Kate glanced up at the sky. "Yeah, it does. We'd better hurry."

* * *

After they picked up Margo's pain medication, they spent the afternoon at Jack's house. They watched a movie, baked cookies, and Kate beat him several times at their favorite video game. Jack was thrilled that she didn't mention Sawyer the whole time. He hoped that maybe, just maybe she would forget about him. 

He drove her home in the rain that evening and walked her to her door. She turned and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face in her hair and just breathed. It was nice to just have someone hold him. It had been so long, that he couldn't even recall the last time anyone had hugged him.

She rubbed his back for a second then stepped away, looking at him intently. "I will be here no matter what. Just call me, okay?"

Jack nodded, trying not to show that he felt like crying.

She smiled at him, and turned to go inside. "I'll see you at school."

"Okay. Goodnight, Kate."

He had wanted to tell her. All he had wanted to do was to pour out how he felt about her. He wasn't that guy, though. He didn't want to say anything if she really had feelings for Sawyer. Besides, she had never acted like she liked him. He would have probably just ended up ruining his friendship with the only person that he could really talk to.

He slammed his head down on the steering wheel, sighing dejectedly as he turned the car on. He drove slowly through the dusky, deserted back streets, doing anything to delay his imminent arrival at his lonely house. Finally, there wasn't any more stalling he could do, so he turned on to his street after the third time around the block. He pulled up the long drive and noted that the lights were off. That meant that his mother was either passed out, or gone for the night. He hoped for the latter. He really hated to see his mother like that, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help her.

He unlocked the front door, and started to go up the stairs. Halfway up, he decided that he was hungry and that he wanted to watch TV.

He made himself some nachos and sank down on the couch, searching for the remote. He flipped through the channels, but he really wasn't interested in anything that was on. He left the TV on, but just sat staring though it, wondering when things were going to get better.

* * *

Kate sat in the back booth of her favorite ice cream parlor. She had a cup of mint ice cream in front of her, but she had barely touched it. She could hardly contain her rather obvious excitement, and when Claire walked in the door, she let herself break into a face-splitting grin.

"He asked me out!"

Claire slid into the bench across from her and grabbed the ice cream. "Like a date?" She queried, spooning a huge glob of ice cream into her mouth.

"Yes a date! What else would he ask me on?"

"Oh, shut up! I'm so excited for you!" Claire shot questions at Kate around the ice cream in her mouth. "When? Where is he taking you? What are you wearing? Can I help you decide?"

"Slow down! We're going to Pinnoli's on Friday night. And, yes, you have to come over and help me figure out what to wear." Kate shivered with excitement. "I feel like I'll keel over trying to wait until Friday."

Claire's phone rang. "Oh, I told Sayid to meet us here." She answered the phone.

"Yeah. Yeah… we're here. Okay, see you in a minute." She snapped her phone shut. "He says he'll be here in about two minutes."

"With the way he drives, I'm not surprised."

Moments later they looked up to see Sayid shoving the door open. "Hey" he said, scooting Claire over as he sat down. He reached for the ice cream, but she batted his hand away. "He asked her out." Claire announced proudly. "Like, on a date."

"Let's hope that's all he asks her for."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Kate broke in indignantly.

"You hardly know the guy. I'm just saying that he may want more from you than you want to give him."

"He's been perfectly nice so far, so can you try not to ruin this for me?"

"Sure. Whatever. I'm just trying to take care of you."

Kate rolled her eyes at him, and Claire started asking about Shannon.

"So, have you had a tutoring session yet?"

"Yeah, last night."

"Did you ask her out?"

"No! She's so confident and pretty, I could hardly figure out how to go about teaching her anything, much less asking her out."

"You're such a wimp!" Claire exclaimed, laughing as Sayid blushed. "I'll ask her for you."

"No. You won't" He stated darkly. "You won't talk to her. You won't even so much as give her a glance that might look suspicious."

They continued to argue, and Kate tuned them out. She forced herself to forget about what Sayid had said, and reassured herself that Sawyer was a nice, sweet guy. He had never done anything to suggest that he wasn't. Stupid Sayid… why did he have to say anything about it?

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I got stuck about halfway through. But, to make up for it, this one is much longer than all of the others have been.

Thanks for the reviews. That's what keeps me posting the story here. Yall are great.

This story will probably be rather long, since I wrote the middle/end first, and am having to go back and fill everything else in, so bear with me.

And... here's your chapter.

**Chapter 5**

Kate sat anxiously on her bed while Claire looked through her closet. "Good grief, Kate… do you never shop?"

"I guess I just like simple clothes. I don't have anything date worthy?"

"No. Nothing. Fortunately… I do." Claire pulled four shirts out of her purse.

"How do you fit all of that in there?" Kate inquired. The purse was _not_ that big.

Claire grinned. "Talent, dear. Pure talent." She threw the shirts to Kate and made her try all of them on twice so she could decide which one looked best.

"Okay. Wear the purple one with your jeans."

Kate pulled the purple tank on over her head and slipped back into her jeans. Claire handed her a pair of yellow flats. "I know you can't walk in heels, and I'm sure Sawyer would appreciate not getting his toes stomped because you can't walk in a straight line."

"Shut up." Kate put the shoes on and went to look at herself in the mirror. "We're not done yet dear," Claire reminded her. "I have to finish straightening your hair, and you need to wear some makeup."

Kate sighed and sat back down on the bed so Claire could finish flattening Kate's normal curls out. She didn't like having her hair straightened, but Claire said it looked more sophisticated, and Kate deferred to her on all matters of fashion.

Kate spent the next half hour being poked and colored with various forms of makeup, until Claire finally pronounced her good to go. Kate went to look in the mirror. She hardly recognized the straight haired, wide eyed girl that stared back at her. She turned to Claire. "Is it weird for him to meet my mom on the first date?"

"Yeah. A bit. Just tell your mom goodbye, then wait by the door and go out when he pulls up."

"Okay. I just feel bad. I know my mom wanted to meet him."

"Well, she can some other time."

"… I guess."

Kate went to say goodbye to her mother, then stood by the front door peering out the window, wondering if Sawyer would be late.

* * *

Sawyer pulled up five minutes later. Kate yelled goodbye to her mother and Claire, then forced herself not to run out to his truck. She smiled at him as he came around to open her door for her, and he grinned back. "You look really nice. I like your hair like that." 

She ran a hand through it, feeling the strange smoothness of it. "Thanks."

While he drove them to Pinnoli's, they chatted about mundane things. Kate's former awkwardness around him was flaring back up since this was an official date. She hadn't been on more than a handful of actual dates, and she'd never been on one with such an attractive guy. She was at a loss for what exactly she was supposed to do. She hoped the awkwardness was not too apparent.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, there was a fifteen minute wait for a table. They sat in the crowded foyer where the amount of noise prevented them from talking, which Kate was rather thankful for.

Their table was in a quieter corner of the restaurant, and they looked over their menu in peace. Sawyer ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Kate wanted lasagna, but she took Claire's advice to not get something that could conceivably make a mess… and ordered chicken.

She then realized that she had no clue what to talk about. She could feel the panic building in her stomach, and hoped that it wasn't evident to Sawyer. Fortunately, he started talking and saved her from fumbling for a topic.

"How are your friends? Claire? How is she?"

Kate looked at him for a second before it registered that she needed to answer. "Oh, um… yeah. She's good. I mean, she's fine. Yeah. She's about to start rehearsing for the school play. I think they're doing a musical, I just don't remember which one. She was attempting to convince me to try out, but I'm not a very good singer, and I don't really have enough time either. Kate realized that she was rambling, so she stopped short. "So… um… how is your… uncle?"

She didn't really listen while he talked about how his uncle's business was doing. She was too busy internally beating herself up and wondering why the hell a guy like him would even want to talk to her, much less go on a date with her.

She was saved the embarrassment for not knowing what he had said by the waiter coming by and giving them some garlic bread. She decided to pass that up, just in case he might have the strange urge to kiss her later.

She had the bright idea to ask him about his favorite video game and thus engaged him in an animated, one-sided conversation that lasted until their food arrived.

The remainder of the time went smoothly, due in part to Sawyer talking nearly the whole time. He talked about the people he had known before he moved, he told stories about crazy thing that Kate wasn't sure if she believed, and he talked about books. She would never have guessed that he loved books as much as he did.

Had she not been so relieved to have the pressure of conversing taken off of her, she might have been slightly annoyed at his monopoly of the conversation. As it was, she guessed that he had probably recognized her nervousness and tried to keep her from being embarrassed.

Before they left, she tried to make him let her pay for her meal, but he was adamant. He paid for everything, and walked her to the passenger side of the truck. He looked down at her and spoke softly. "Do you want to go to a park or something?"

"Sure." She glanced up at him and smiled slightly.

"Good." He smiled and leaned toward her, and she was sure that he was going to kiss her. Instead he just opened the door for her.

* * *

He drove them to a quiet park near the restaurant and parked the truck beneath a shadowy elm. They got out and he led her to an iron bench under the trees. He heart was pounding. She had no idea what to do in a situation like this. She forced herself to tear her eyes off of the trees and sneak a sideways glance at him. He was just sitting there… looking at her. 

She quickly turned her eyes back to stare blankly at the trees. She felt him move closer to her. His hand reached out and touched her chin, turning her face toward him. She looked up at him and the next thing she felt was his lips on hers. He was gentle, but she could tell that he had plenty of experience. He ran a hand through her hair, and she wanted nothing more than to just let go and feel. Instead, she kept worrying that she wasn't good enough, or that she would do something wrong.

He slowly pulled away just far enough to press his forehead against hers. "I've wanted to do that since the first time I saw you."

Kate didn't know how to respond to that, so she chose not to say anything. She hoped her breath smelled okay. She wondered if he knew that she had no idea what she was doing.

He broke into her racing thoughts. "You look so beautiful tonight."

She prayed that he didn't see how much she was blushing. "Thanks," she said quietly. He leaned in to kiss her again.

* * *

Kate flopped on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts were crashing around in her head. She couldn't fathom why Sawyer would like her. She could barely string three words together tonight, and once she did, she sounded completely stupid. She groaned, smashing her pillow into her face. _Why_ did she have to be such an idiot? 

She rolled over to look at the clock. It was nearly eleven. She wondered if it was too late to call Claire. She figured it probably was.

Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up, hoping that Claire had decided to call and ask her how her date went. "Kate… you'll never believe what just happened!" It was Sayid.

"Really? What?"

"Shannon kissed me! We were just sitting there talking about school and she just leaned over and kissed me."

"Wow. What did you do?"

Sayid chuckled. "Uh, at first, I just sat there like a complete moron, and she started to walk away."

"Did you stop her?"

"Yes. I jumped up, grabbed her, and kissed her back."

"Aw… Sayid, I'm so happy for you."

"She says she's liked me for a while now. That's why she asked me to tutor her. She's actually pretty good at Calculus."

"Well, she sounds like your kind of girl."

"You'd better believe it. Oh, how did your date go?"

"It was wonderful… except that I acted like I had no brain whatsoever. I thought I had gotten over not being able to talk around him, but I guess since it was an actual date… it just came back."

"I'm sorry. Do you think he noticed?"

"Ugh. I hope not. I keep wondering why he likes me."

"You're pretty. He probably wants you. It doesn't matter to him what you talk like, as long as you're good looking."

"I'd like to think that it isn't just that. There are tons of prettier girls at school. Take Shannon for example."

"You had better not be insinuating that he should like Shannon. I'd punch him."

Kate laughed at his foreboding tone. "Whatever the reason, I'm just glad he likes me. He's so cute."

"Uh, yeah… I really have nothing to say to that."

"Oh, shut up."

"Well, I guess I'll let you go." Kate was about to hang up when she heard him call her name. "Hey, Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you talk to Jack tonight?"

"No… why?"

"I tried to call him to tell him about Shannon, but he never answered."

"Did you try his house?"

"Nobody answered."

"I guess I'll try to call him and see."

"Okay. If he answers, let him know I want to talk to him, but don't tell him why."

"Alright, Sayid. Goodnight."

"Night."

* * *

Kate punched in Jack's cell number for the third time. It rang seven times, then rolled to the answering machine. She decided to leave a message this time. 

"Hey, Jack. It's me… Sayid said he couldn't get in touch with you, and I was just wondering if you were okay. He wants you to call him as soon as you can. Anyhow, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye…"

She hung up and turned to glance at the clock. It was already twelve thirty. She got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen to make herself some toast.

* * *

Jack was out for a run… a long, hard run. He had gone three miles, and he still felt angry enough for a couple more. Who the hell did Christian think he was? Jack didn't even want to call him dad. He kept going back over the evening in his head. 

_Flashback __–_

_His dad staggered in thirty minutes late for dinner, obviously drunk. Margo confronted him about it the minute he sat down. His reaction was to curse at her, and begin eating as if nothing had happened. When he finished, he got up to look for the key to the liquor cabinet, and couldn't find it. Margo said that he was already plenty drunk, and that she wasn't about to hand over the key. _

_Christian went crazy. He called her about fifteen different variations of "crazy bitch", getting louder each time. Margo stood her ground through his rant until he started screaming unintelligible things and hurled the lamp from the coffee table at her. His aim was off, and she didn't even flinch. She watched it hit the floor and shatter a few feet from her, then turned and walked calmly toward the stairs._

_Christian had stood in the center of the room, swaying back and forth, muttering curses under his breath. "Uh, dad," Jack started. "Maybe you should sit down."_

_He turned to look at his son with a completely serious expression. "I do not need to sit down." His eyes crossed and he collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious._

_Jack walked quickly to his room, stripped down to his undershirt, and pulled on a pair of shorts. He grabbed his running shoes and headed toward the door._

_End Flashback - _

Jack saw the highway lights up ahead, and realized that he had already run six miles. His muscles were starting to shake, so he sat down on a bench in front of a darkened restaurant. He propped his head on his hands and attempted to catch his breath. He couldn't remember the last time he had run so far. He was not looking forward to the walk home. He sighed and fumbled in his pocket for his phone, hoping that Sayid might be able to come pick him up, and realized that he must have left it back at the house in his hurry to get away.

He wondered how Kate's date with that "perfect" redneck went. He hoped it had gone terribly, for his own sake; but figured that it had probably gone well.

He stood up to stretch, knowing that he would be very sore if he didn't. He knew that he was going to be sore anyway. He could already feel the strain in his muscles.

He lay back down on the bench, thinking that he would just rest for a minute before walking home.

The next thing he knew, he woke up to the sound of traffic, and bright sunlight in his face.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - I'm sorry that this is so short. I'm getting stuck, and I'm not sure how to tie in this part with the stuff I've already written. Plus, LOST coming back is killing this for me. I'm seeing the characters every week, and thinking of ways that I want to change this. But... I won't. I'm finishing this exactly how I planned it. It just may take a while.

* * *

Kate tried Jack's cell a fourth time as she walked to lunch. She was getting worried. It wasn't like him not to call her back. She had no idea what could have happened, but the way his family had been acting lately left her wary.

She dropped her phone into her purse and sat down across from Sayid and Shannon who barely even acknowledged her presence. They were staring at each other and talking in whispers. Kate rolled her eyes. Sayid acted tough, but he was obviously a sappy romantic.

Kate pulled a sandwich out of her bag and felt around for the apple that she was sure she had thrown in there. She felt her fingers brush across it and was about to reach for it when someone grabbed her by the shoulders. She jumped and turned to see Sawyer standing behind her with a huge grin on his face. "Hey," he said softly into her ear. Before she knew what was happening, he tipped her chin up and kissed her.

"Um… hi." She was sure that her face was completely crimson. She wasn't accustomed to displays like that in the middle of the cafeteria. He slid in next to her and set his container of leftover spaghetti on the table in front of him. "How's your sandwich?"

"It's good. I've barely gotten to take a bite. You scared me." She laughed, hoping that the excitement in her voice wasn't too evident.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He leaned close to her. "I won't do it again." She watched his lips come closer and tried to prepare herself this time.

After about three seconds, she broke away, completely embarrassed to be kissing in a public place like that. She looked down at her food, praying that he hadn't been insulted by her breaking away. He didn't seem to be. He just opened his container and started eating like nothing had happened.

* * *

Jack drove toward the school, hoping that he would make it in time for lunch. He just really wanted to be with someone who wasn't screaming at him. 

He had caught a taxi home; reassuring the nervous driver that he would pay him once they got to Jack's house, even though he didn't have the money with him. He had gotten home around ten to find no one at the house. Fortunately, no one had moved the spare key, and he had gotten in and paid the taxi driver. Jack had looked around for a note from his mother, but didn't find one. He trudged up the stairs to take a shower.

He pulled into the parking lot and found a spot after about three minutes of searching. He slowly hoisted himself out of his car, trying to go easy on his aching muscles.

He really wanted to get inside before lunch was over, so he started jogging. After about four steps, he realized what a stupid idea that was. He wasn't going any faster than walking pace, but it hurt about ten times more.

He pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. He hadn't gotten a chance to check it in his mad rush to get out of his empty house earlier. There were twenty two missed calls and five messages! Thirteen of the calls were from Kate, and nine of them were from Sayid. Jack smiled, glad that at least some people had cared where he was.

As he walked through the school, he checked his messages. The first one was an ambiguous, rambling one from Sayid. The rest were progressively more worried inquiries about his whereabouts, all from Kate.

He was so engrossed in listening to her last message that he nearly ran into the cafeteria doors. Fortunately, someone pulled it open just as he got there, and startled him out of his thoughtless walking. He scanned the cafeteria for anyone he knew. He saw Claire first, leaning over a table to talk to some guy he didn't know. He saw Sayid next. He was snuggled up to some girl that Jack quickly realized was Shannon.

Jack's mouth dropped open. Sayid worked fast! He shook his head. Why couldn't he be like that?

Then, finally, Kate caught his eye. He almost missed her because her hair was straight for some reason. He had stepped forward to walk over to their table when he saw who was beside her. Very close beside her.

Jack watched in surprise as Kate glanced up at Sawyer, who promptly leaned down to kiss her. He felt a fist tighten around his stomach as he slowly turned to walk out of the cafeteria.

He had known, objectively, that Kate liked Sawyer, but he hadn't seen them together like that until now. It made him sick just thinking about it. Jack walked as quickly as he could out to the parking lot, got in his car, and drove to Kate's house. Her mom was always sweet to him. He just needed someone to be there.

* * *

Kate called Jack's cell again as she stepped off the bus at her house. Claire had insisted that she had seen him in the cafeteria today, but he hadn't been in any of his classes. She knew because she had picked up all of his homework for him. 

She fumbled in her purse for the house key, and then realized that the door was unlocked. Her mom almost never left it unlocked when she was home by herself. Kate pushed the door open. "Mom?" She called loudly. "Is everything okay?" She set her stuff down in the hallway and walked toward the kitchen.

"Shhhhh." Her mother came through the doorway to the kitchen. "Jack just fell asleep, honey. Try not to wake him."

Jack was at her house? Kate wondered why he hadn't called her back. At least he was okay. She quietly crept back to her room.

She pushed the door open and walked to her closet to find some comfortable clothes. She went into the bathroom to change, and then sat down at her desk to start on her homework. She turned to look at Jack. He was sleeping, but he certainly didn't look peaceful. His forehead was furrowed, and he kept turning over like he was trying to get comfortable. She felt so bad for him. She had no idea what could have happened last night, but it was obviously bad if he hadn't even tried to come to school, and he hadn't called Sayid or her back.

She started on her homework, wondering when he would wake up. She wanted him to get some sleep, because he obviously needed it, but she really wanted to know what had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - I apologize profusely for the lack of updates. I've just been so off on Kate this last season, and the moment I start to like her again... Jack annoys me. I always thought I was a Jater, but when I saw the ff episode with them... I didn't like it. It was disappointing to not like it when I'd been anticipating them for so long. Anyway, I finally remembered that I had some of another chapter of this written, so I went and found it and wrote a bit more. I know it's short, but I'll try to get back into the story and write some more.

* * *

Jack opened his eyes to complete darkness. He hated the feeling of not knowing where he was. The room seemed slightly familiar, even though he couldn't really see it. He brought the blanket up to his face and sniffed it, trying to place the smell. It smelled like Kate. Jack sat up, surprised. He mentally flipped through the events of his day, and recalled that he had gone to Kate's house that afternoon. He wondered how long he had been sleeping. After a futile search for a clock, he slowly got out of the bed and felt his way to the door. He opened it slowly, and the bright hallway light hit him in the face. He squinted and shook his head, fumbling down the hall toward the kitchen.

It was completely dark in the kitchen, and the clock on the microwave was the only thing he could see. It said twelve fifteen. He had slept for eleven hours. He wondered where Kate was sleeping, and felt guilty for kicking her out of her bed. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he peeked into the living room and saw her curled up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket wrapped tightly around her. At least she looked comfortable.

He didn't feel tired any more, and he had no idea what to do at her house. He grabbed his jacket off the table and crept silently toward the front door. He had almost gotten it to open without a sound when he heard Kate call his name. He turned to see her in the doorway to the living room.

"Hi. Why are you leaving?" She whispered, sounding like she was half asleep. She looked so cute rubbing her eyes and attempting to convince both of them that she was awake.

He sighed. "I slept for a long time. I don't have anything to do now."

"You could tell me what happened." A look of concern stole over her face. "Are you okay, Jack?"

"I don't know. My parents had a huge fight last night, and I haven't heard from either of them since."

She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Have you been back to your house since then?"

"Yeah, yesterday morning before I came to school."

"So you were at school? Claire thought she had seen you. Why didn't you stay?" She took her arms from around his neck and pulled him toward the living room couch.

Jack had no desire to tell her that he had left because he couldn't deal with watching her kiss Sawyer. He sighed, "I just didn't feel up to staying, so I came over here. Your mom said I could sleep in your room, and that's what I've been doing ever since."

Kate nodded, then looked at him seriously. "Jack… where were you last night. Both Sayid and I tried to call you. We were getting worried."

He let out a humorless laugh. "I went running, and I'd gone so far that I was too tired to go back, so I just slept on a bench outside a restaurant. I left my phone at home."

"Oh, Jack. I am so sorry. I don't know what else to say."



"Yeah… thank you, Kate."

Kate pulled her legs up onto the couch. "Were you planning on going home when you left?"

" I don't really know. I might have just driven around for a while."

"I could go with you. I'll leave a note for my mom."

"If you want to, I'd like that."

Kate walked into the kitchen and flipped on a light. She dug around in a drawer and pulled out a sticky note pad and a flowery pen. She quickly scribbled a note to her mother and put the pen back in the drawer, then smiled up at Jack. "Let's go."

They drove slowly down the street with the windows rolled down, breathing in the cool night air. Kate sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. Jack could see the goose bumps on her arms, and asked if she wanted his jacket.

"Please?"

He pulled it out from the back seat and handed it to her. She wrapped it around her shoulders and sank into it, still shivering slightly. "Thank you."

"Of course."

He flipped on the radio, and some soft classical music poured out of the speakers. He started to change it, when Kate stopped him. "Leave it. It sounds good."

He laughed. "Okay, Kate… whatever you want." The music wasn't so bad. It was intricate, smooth and it was very relaxing.

They drove around for a while, and eventually Jack looked over at Kate to find her asleep with her head against the door and part of her hair blowing out the window. She looked adorable, as usual, and he wished that he had told her how he felt about her before Sawyer had come and swept her off her feet. He sighed quietly and turned back toward her house. He wondered if he'd ever be able to tell her.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N – Wow, guys, I don't know if anyone will still read this, but it's been AGES. I may be updating more regularly if people are still reading. Sorry that it's taken so long to start back up. I'm still not a Jack/Kate fan anymore, so I'm just going to pretend I am.

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Jack finally pulled into his driveway at five thirty that morning. He shut his car off and looked for signs of his parents being home. He thought he saw a light in the back bathroom, so he went in the side door as quietly as possible. He didn't know which of his parents was home, but he wasn't interested in a confrontation with either of them at the moment. He grabbed a banana from the kitchen on his way through and tiptoed up the stairs to his room.

Closing the door behind him, he surveyed the disaster that was his room. He berated himself for not cleaning more often, and proceeded to throw mounds of junk off of his bed. He found his notebook at the bottom of the pile, and set it on his desk so he would remember it in the morning. He sat down on his bed with a sigh, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands. He almost had to laugh at the ridiculousness of everything that had happened in the last couple of days. First his father coming home drunk again and throwing lamps, then staying out all night and worrying his friends sick, and finally getting to spend time with Kate alone. It was a strange series of events.

He woke up face down on the floor two hours later with his alarm blaring in his ear. He felt around under a pile of clothes, hoping that the stupid clock was underneath. It wasn't, so he just felt around for the cord and yanked it out of the wall. He wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep for a couple days, but he forced himself to get up and put on some reasonably clean clothes.

He stalled upstairs as long as he could. He had no idea whether his parents were still home, and he didn't know what he was going to say to them if they were. He walked down the stairs with a growing sense of apprehension. He turned the corner into the kitchen and saw his mom at the sink with her back to him. He froze. Hoping she hadn't seen him, but also hoping that she had, he tried to decide what to do.

"Jack."

He turned around. "Hey." He was glad his voice didn't show his doubt.

"Did you sleep well?"

Was she just going to act like nothing had happened? Jack didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Uh… yeah. Did you?"

"Yes, it was fine. Do you need me to drop any of your clothes at the cleaner's for tonight?"

"Why? What's tonight?'

"Jack! I've been telling you about this for weeks. It's the annual banquet for the charity I co-own. You need to be there."

"Uh, okay. What time is it?"

"I need you home by six, Jack. Don't be late. I am not in the mood for having to drag people around."

"Okay, mom. I'll be there."

"Thank you."

She left the kitchen. Jack sank down into one of the straight backed chairs. Why was she acting like normal? She didn't even give him an explanation for why she hadn't been home in over a day. And she said nothing about where his father was. Jack was pissed. He didn't want to go to any stupid charity thing where he'd have nothing to do but sit and think about his parents.

He looked up at the clock, cursing aloud when he saw how late it was. He grabbed a granola bar on the way to his car. Ignoring the ridiculously low speed limits around his neighborhood, he drove away from his house as quickly as he could. He got to school in record time and sprinted to his first class. The bell rang while he was halfway down the hallway. _Of course,_ he thought _I would be late. Perfect._ He slid into a desk in the back, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He hated being late. He had just pulled his books out and gotten situated when his phone rang. He hadn't put it on silent that morning, and he couldn't find it! It had to be somewhere in the backpack. It stopped ringing and he sat back, completely mortified. It rang again. He leaned down for it when the teacher stopped him.

"Jack? Please leave the classroom."

Jack sighed audibly and grabbed his stuff. He was ready to destroy whoever was calling him. His phone was ringing for a third time! He wondered why they couldn't just leave a message or give up. He collapsed onto the floor in the hallway and dumped the contents of his backpack out. His phone was the last thing to come out. Snatching it up, he looked at the display. It was Claire. He had no idea why she was calling him. She was supposed to be in school too. He flipped the phone open.

"Hey."

"Jack, I need to talk to you."

"I was in class, can't this wait?"

"No, Jack… right now. Meet me at the football field in five minutes."

"Claire, what is wrong? Are you okay?"

"Just be there, Jack."

She hung up, and he was left sitting there with his books strewn across the floor wondering what could have possibly happened. He stuffed all of his things back in his backpack and jogged toward the door facing the football field. He got there in less than five minutes, and Claire hadn't arrived yet. He took a seat in the middle of the bleachers and waited.

Less than two minutes later, he saw her walking toward him across the field. She looked disheveled with her hair all messed up and clothes that she had obviously slept in. His curiosity was quickly turning to worry. He stood up and started walking toward her.

"Claire, what happened?"

"Jack, I need you to sit down."

He sat.

"Okay, what is going on?"

"This is kind of a long story, so you have to promise not to interrupt me until I'm done."

"Okay, okay… I promise, now what is it?"

"I got into a huge fight with my mom last night, and-" she paused as her eyes welled up with tears. "Jack, she told me that my dad isn't my real dad."

"What? I'm so sorry." He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder when she stopped him.

"I'm not done." She looked down. "I also found out who my real dad is."

"Wow. That's a lot to take in for one night. Who is it?"

"Well, evidently my mom got pregnant before she married my dad. She was working as a receptionist for a certain hospital when she had an affair with one of the surgeons." She stopped. Wiping a couple of tears away, she looked at him seriously. "Jack… I don't know how to say this."

"What, Claire? You know you can tell me anything."

She looked away, and he wondered if she was going to tell him. After a couple minutes he broke the silence. "Claire…?"

Her eyes were steely when she turned back to him. "Damnit, Jack… it was your dad! Okay? The surgeon was your dad. I just thought you should know and I'm sorry for telling you and I don't want you to hate me, please don't hate me, but I thought you deserved to know-"

He interrupted her incoherent rambling. "What the hell?" His head was spinning. "So you're like… my sister? Oh, God." He rested his head in his hands.

She was silent.

After a few minutes he looked up again. She hadn't moved. She was staring blankly toward the opposite end of the field. Her tangled hair was blowing in the wind and she just looked so sad and young. He scooted down toward her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. We'll figure this out." She turned toward him and buried her head in his chest.


End file.
